Syriac and Armenian Chant Traditions Meet in New York Workshop

Photo: St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary / Facebook

YONKERS, NY — Scholars and musicians from Syriac and Armenian traditions will gather May 1–2, 2026, for a two-day workshop exploring Eastern and Oriental Orthodox approaches to liturgical chant, hosted across two seminaries in New York.

The event opens at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and continues at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, bringing together master practitioners and academics to examine shared roots and distinctive developments in sung worship. Organizers describe the program as a rare opportunity to study “commonalities and differences in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox approaches to sung worship.”

Presentations include Dr. Gabriel Aydin’s lecture on “Syriac Liturgical Chant: History, Theology, and Tonal Tradition,” and Dr. Haig Utidjian’s talk on Armenian chant history and theology. The schedule also features a lecture-recital highlighting hymn traditions from Nativity, Holy Week, and Resurrection services, demonstrating the modal and melodic richness of both traditions.

The event is free and open to the public, offered in person and online, and supported by a grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Registration for the event can be found here. 

Previously, the UOJ reported that GOARCH approved the St. Romanos Church Music Festival.

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